Night Markets in Taiwan: The Complete Guide

If Taiwan has one national institution, it’s the night market. Dozens of food stalls packed together, smells competing with each other, families eating on their feet, and prices of a few shekels a dish. For me it’s the best way to feel the place.

The markets worth knowing

• Raohe, Taipei — compact, next to Ciyou Temple, easy to walk end to end. The pepper-bun stall at the entrance with its permanent queue.
• Shilin, Taipei — the biggest and most famous, crowded, full of everything. A tourist classic.
• Ningxia, Taipei — small and loved by locals, strong on traditional dishes.
• Fengjia, Taichung — the biggest night market in the country, full of students and culinary experiments.
• Liuhe, Kaohsiung — central and convenient, strong on seafood thanks to the harbour.

What to eat

Start with pepper buns, beef noodles, and soup dumplings, move on to fried oysters and skewers, and finish with bubble tea and shaved ice. For the brave: stinky tofu. More in the Taiwanese food guide.

If you’d rather go with someone who knows it, a night-market food tour saves the dithering and heads straight for the good stuff. Back to the main guide or to the Taipei guide.